“I could be buried here with you.”
Despite only being around fifteen minutes in length, the self-titled debut EP of Chicago bedroom skramz project You Arms Are My Cocoon catapulted them to emo fame, and cemented their place as a cornerstone of the genre’s fifth wave. Originally the solo project of Tyler Odom, they have since expanded into a full band. Death of a rabbit marks their first major release in four years, recorded sporadically between contributions to splits The Battle at Kiganjimi Island and Our Little Trains, in addition to touring across the globe with Awakebutstillinbed and Algae Bloom, among others.
death of a rabbit retains the unique lo-fi production Your Arms Are My Cocoon are renowned for (no doubt the result of Odom’s tendency to record on his phone), however immediately noticeable is the fuller sound compared to previous releases. While opener “let’s get married” begins with simple strummed chords, it does not take long for the song to erupt into a cacophony of intertwining synth melodies, before ending just as abruptly. Harkening back to the music of Brave Little Abacus, each track contains a greater density and variety of instrumentation, from the banjo to singing saw. These lush foundations provide an effective contrast to Odom’s harsh screams, and allow the band to push into heavier sounds when necessary, such as on sections of the ten minute epic “runner duck.”
The best of this maximalist style can be seen on “city on fire (closeness),” which is as playful as it is relentless, effortlessly moving through parts and tempos. The track blends a wide variety of instruments and samples (including the sound of starting lights from Mario Kart, fitting for what is perhaps the fastest song on the record), yet remains cohesive due to the distinctive production style. Standing in contrast to this are several stripped down tracks, such as the mostly acoustic “houston” and “husk,” which provide a much needed breather from the intensity of the rest of the record, also demonstrating the capabilities of Odom’s clean vocals.
Lyrically, death of a rabbit continues Odom’s fixation on both growth and decay, juxtaposing imagery of fruit and flowers with violent depictions of bodies being torn asunder and rendered together. In the context of a full album, however, the storytelling in Odom’s lyrics is given a greater chance so shine. The record concerns, as many emo albums do, a relationship, which grows so intense it begins to suffocate the narrator. What sets death of a rabbit apart from the landfills-worth of angsty emo about failed relationships is not only the aforementioned imagery, but also how this imagery dynamically evolves through the album, across the course of the relationship. The mantra of “I could be buried here with you” slowly transforms from a statement of unending devotion on early track “muffled beneath the sound of the ocean” to a desperate cry for a escape on closer “husk.”
Each time I listen to this album I discover something new to fixate on, whether it be the use of an instrument previously unnoticed, or the way one track will twist and flow into the next. Your Arms Are My Cocoon arguably set the standard for modern lo-fi emo with their debut ep. Only time can tell if death of a rabbit will have the same influence, however I believe that this record has the power to redefine screamo influenced emo. From front to back, it is a intricately crafted masterpiece, showcasing the band’s tightly controlled chaos and, above all, an experience that leave me emotional with each listen.
9/10
death of a rabbit released on the 11th August and can be acquired digitally here.